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Mai ngā reo pou tangata

Abstract
Globally the prevalence rate of dementia is estimated to be 50 million. In 2016, Aotearoa New Zealand prevalence projections reported 62,287 people were affected by dementia. Māori represented 5.1 per cent, which is expected to rise to 8 per cent by 2038. Māori people prefer to care for ill kaumātua (older people) at home and are experiencing greater stress and increased caregiver burden due to the cultural expectations of caring for kaumātua at home. The two aims of this study were first, to explore the perspectives of Māori whānau carers caring for kaumātua with dementia, and the second aim was to explore the perspectives of staff who work for dementia service providers, addressing areas such as staff’s experiences with Māori whānau carers and cultural competency in service delivery. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight whānau (11 whānau carers) within the Waikato region of New Zealand and seven service provider staff participants. Whānau carers were interviewed first. They were asked to share information about their kaumātua. The topics explored the diagnosis process; the behavioural changes of the kaumātua living with dementia and the whānau caring experience. Thematic analysis was conducted on the resulting transcripts to identify themes and to identify potential service providers to approach for interviews. Five service provider organisations were selected, of which four service providers were able to commit to an interview. One service provider could not commit to an interview due to thesis time constraints. Seven staff participants across the four service providers were recruited and invited to share their perspectives of working with Māori whānau. Again, thematic analysis was conducted on the verbatim transcripts to identify salient themes. Two major findings amidst the perspectives of whānau carers was identified. First, the systemic lack of support across three dimensions, and second the negative impact of caregiver burden. The first deficiency was the lack of support from whānau members, second, the lack of support from community services and third, the lack of support from the government. Whānau experienced poor health as a result of caregiver burden. Staff participants findings were firstly staff believed they were culturally inclusive and responsive, second they reported going beyond their roles and the system to support Māori and third staff identified barriers which exist for Māori in terms of accessing services. Whānau carers are struggling to find support from other whānau members. Some whānau members are critical of caring methods, while others place additional burden on the carers. Whānau are often described as an interconnected unit, however findings show that Māori whānau carers are feeling isolated and alone, and as a result are experiencing poor health. Whānau carers perceive a services in their community as not being culturally inclusive or appropriate. Staff participants said that they incorporate respect and compassion into their service delivery. Staff recognise that the numbers of Māori represented at services are low, compared to non-Māori clients. Services need to be integrate cultural training on a regular basis to ensure Māori are comfortable with being Māori in service settings.
Type
Thesis
Type of thesis
Series
Citation
Nathan, L. K. (2019). Mai ngā reo pou tangata (Thesis, Master of Social Sciences (MSocSc)). The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10289/13532
Date
2019
Publisher
The University of Waikato
Rights
All items in Research Commons are provided for private study and research purposes and are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.